Retractable low friction means for movable bodies



- 1958 RD. CARMIICHAEL ,3

RETRACTABLE LOW FRICTION MEANS FOR MOVABLE BODIES Filed Dec. 15. 1955 NVENTOR Robe/"f Q Car-mi; BY M ATTORNEY United States PatentO mesa- 924 R R CTABLE-LQWE M AQFE Robert D. Carmichael, Hampton, Ga, 'assignor to Southern- States Equipment 'Eor oI-rg tion; a corporation of Georgia 'whichtmay-be readily-movedto'an--active position to facilitate moving the can bodily from one location to another as is customary after the can is filled with coiled sliver.

The trend toward larger and heavier coiler cans has resulted in a substantial reduction in the number of cans which an operator may simultaneously slide along the floor from one position to another. This disadvantage at least partially offsets the increased efiiciency normally to be expected to result from the use of larger coiler cans.

A principal object of this invention is to facilitate bodily movement of large sliver cans from one position to another without interfering with their coiling function.

Another object of the invention is to provide low friction means for transportable containers such as coiler cans which can easily be rendered inactive at will.

The invention in one form comprises support means disposed in the cavity formed at the bottom of a conventional coiler can, low friction means on the support means, and guide means disposed for engagement with the support means, the guide means and support means being relatively movable to impart movement to the low friction means in a direction which is substantially normal to the bottom of the can.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side view of a conventional coiler showing its can in its normal operating position; Figure 2 is a bottom view of a coiler can to which the invention has been applied and which represents the positions of the parts when the low friction means is retracted to its innermost position; Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in section of a portion of Figure 2 showing the low friction means retracted; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the low friction means in its outermost position; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the low friction means in its outermost position; and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom portion of a convention-a1 coiler can to which the invention has been applied and which shows the low friction means in its outermost position.

With reference to Figure 1 the numeral 1 generally designates the fixed base portion of a coiler to which the vertically disposed upright pedestal 2 is securely affixed. The coiler head generally designated by the numeral 3 is mounted atop pedestal 2. As is well understood a rotatable platform designated by the numeral 4 is mounted on the base 1 and suitable mechanism disposed within the pedestal 2 is used to impart rotary motion to platform 4. As is indicated in Figure l the sliver can 5 is mounted in position on the rotatable platform 4 so that 'ice sliver'fed 'into the head 3 is coiled thereby and expelled therefrom into the can 5 which due to rotarymotion As is shown in Figure 2 support means 8 comprises a centrally disposed hub portion 9 to which is afiixed a plurality of radially extending arms 10. Also aflixed to hub portion 9 and extending radially therefrom is a manually operable element 11. As is best shown in Figure'6 the bolt 7 is provided'with a nut 12 and a washer 13 engages the sleeve portion 13a of a flanged spacer having a flange 13b. The sleeve portion 13a is 'axiallylonge'r than the thickness of hub portion 9 ,so as to render the support means 8 freely rotatable about bolt 7. Aflixed to the outer extremity of each of the radially extending arms 10 is low friction means 14 which preferably may take the form of a conventional caster having a rotatable sphere 14a suitably positioned within a body portion 1412.

For the purpose of imparting movement to the low friction means 14 in a direction which is substantially normal to the bottom portion 6 of the can or container 5 suitable guide means or guide plate 15 is affixed to the bottom 6 of the container 5. Guide means 15 as is best shown in Figure 6 is provided along its periphery with an outwardly extending flange 16 which constitutes a plurality of cam surfaces along which radially extending elements 10 are respectively allowed to ride. It will be understood that radially extending elements 10 are constructed of yieldable material and are biased upwardly toward engagement with the cam surface 16 so that relative rotary movement of the support means 3 and the guide means 15 imparts movement to the casters 14 in a direction which is normal to the bottom 6 of the can 5. Preferably the limit of travel of the spider-like support means 8 is determined by a pair of stops 17 and 17a which are formed on each of the cam surfaces 16.

The mechanism comprising support means 8 and guide means 15 and parts associated therewith is housed within a recess or cavity defined by the bottom 6 of the container 5 and a projecting means comprising overlapping portion 13 of the bottom wall 6 and the downwardly projecting portion 19 of the wall of can 5. Thus parts 18 and 19 constitute proiecting means which supports the can when the low friction means 1 5 is withdrawn to a retracted innermost position.

While 1 have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a container having a cavity formed adjacent the outside of the bottom wall thereof, support means rotatably mounted on the outside of said bottom wall and yieldable in a direction normal thereto, low friction means mounted on said support means and movable therewith between active and inactive positions, a manually operable element operably related with said support means for imparting limited rotary movement thereto, and guide means mounted on said bottom wall and disposed between said bottom wall and said support means, said support means being maintained in engagement with said guide means due to inherent bias of said support means irrespective of the relative positions of said guide means and said support means, said guide means being configured to cause said support means and said low friction means to move toward one of its positions and from the other position in coordination with movement of said manually operable element.

2. In combination, a container having a cavity formed adjacent the outside of the bottom wall thereof, spiderlike support means having a hub portion and a plurality of radially extending arms, said arms being resilient in a direction normal to said bottom wall of said container, means for rotatably mounting said support means on the outside of said bottom wall of said container at the hub portion of said support means, guide means mounted on said bottom wall adjacent said support means and having a cam surface in engagement with each of said arms so that rotary movement of said support means causes movement of at least a part of each of said arms in a direction normal to the bottom of the container, the resilience of said support means being such that said support means follows the cam surface of said guide means in response to relative rotary movement between said guide means and said support means.

adjacent the outside of the bottom wall thereof, spiderlike support means having a hub portion and a plurality of radially extending arms, said arms being resilient in a direction normal to said bottom wall of said container, means for rotatably mounting'said support means on the outside of said bottom wall of said container at the hub portion of said support means, a substantially circular guide plate aflixed to the outside of said bottom wall in substantially coaxial relation to said support means and having a plurality of cam surfaces disposed about the periphery of said plate and extending in a direction substantially normal thereto, the resilience of said arms being effective to cause each of said arms to follow an associated cam surface and to accommodate movement of at least a part of each of said arms in a direction normal to said plate in response to rotation of said support means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,220,732 Devlin Mar. 27, 1917 2,041,370 Pottortf May 19, 1936 2,379,476 Cleveland July 3, 1945 

